Gardenkeeping

How do you take a lovely family visit and make it into something that seems dark and unsure? You go for a walk in the woods!

This last month my sisters and their families gathered at a house that is tucked back on Blue Mountain Road just off of Eaglemount. The last time we were there was four years ago. It’s a favorite for all. They even have tunnels and slides that kids (and grown-ups with good knees) can crawl through to pop-up at various other places in the house! Pretty cool. Another great thing about this spot is that you’re acres away from any neighbors. If they’re around, you don’t see them, just the dirt roads that lead to…?

We like to take walks after dinner.

It takes a bit to get off of the property. First you walk down the driveway past a large expanse of lawn, then you go through a treed area where there’s a hidden pond full of frogs that sing at night and, once you’re past that, down the road you go!

It’s what we do.

This year while the sisters were having our special hang-time, the kids went off to explore with their dad and found a trail hidden in the wooded area on the other side of the house. Was it there four years ago? Nobody knows. Sometimes it takes kids to find a way in.

The day was sunny and bright, but the trail was dark and cool. It went along a ravine and parts of it were steep and narrow. You really had to watch where you were going. I made the mistake of trying to take a picture while walking (who does that?) and fell flat on my face! Luckily nobody got a picture of that. Looking at the other side of the ravine, I was amazed at how many ferns there were. It was probably the most sword ferns I have ever seen in one place and I live on the Olympic Peninsula! Oddly enough this made me feel a little suspicious. I felt my thoughts getting away from me, “Why so many ferns?…What do they want?” I was going to be prepared if they started showing up by the back door, “Quick! Everyone, out the front door, NOW!”

A classic case of PANic in the woods.

Look it up.

In keeping with the true spirit of the family vacation

I invite you to join me for a slide show of the images captured in the dark woods. Turn down the lights, grab some popcorn and try to find a place to sit!

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If you thought the slide show was fun, you’ll definitely want to check out the trailer:

Gardenkeeping presents “Look Up!”

Thanks for watching!

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